Nick Hardwick’s appointment as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has been extended in order to allow the recruitment process for his successor to be re-run.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed to the Justice Select Committee that he will not be proposing a preferred candidate to them as there was not a wide enough pool of candidates from which to select.

The Committee had been due to hold a pre-appointment hearing with the preferred candidate later this month, with Mr Hardwick’s fixed term originally due to end in July 2015.